In the Beginning...

by Calle J. Brookes

  The Dardaptoans still eyed her like she was the devil, so she spent little time in the medical hall, preferring to do her research in the safety of Cormac’s suite.

  Nothing. We found the car. And two sets of footprints too large to be either Kindara’s or Ji’s. That’s it. He sank down on the bed beside her. He pushed the open book out of his way. Are you finding what you are looking for?

  Basic information, yes. Josey didn’t want to talk about her research. She wanted to talk about him. About his search. About the two women everyone was worried about.

  What if they never found them? Why do you think they were kidnapped?

  Because of who they are. Kindara, as Chief Healer, is a very valuable hostage. Any Kind would want her. She’s worth her weight in gold ten times over, just for her position. Add in that she is sister to the head of the Jareth House—and mother of the Dardano heir. She’s invaluable, especially as a political tool. Ji is Rydere’s heir, until he reproduces with his Dhan. That’s a pretty important political target right there.

  And you have no idea who took them? Those Lupoiux, maybe? Or any of the million other Kinds that I never knew existed?

  Nothing. Just the footprints. But I will find them. I will not stop until I have my family back safely.

  ****

  She let him sleep in the bed, this time. He’d sat beside her while she finished up the chapter, not saying anything. When she’d looked up half an hour later, he was sound asleep, head thrown back against the pile of pillows. His shoes were on the silk comforter.

  She didn’t have the heart to kick him to the couch, where he’d slept every night since he’d brought her here. What if it had been her sister Jade kidnapped, disappearing into thin air?

  She tugged the shoes from his feet and sat them beside the bed. Removed the books from where she’d stacked them on the mattress before slipping into the bathroom to change into one of the tunics he’d provided for her to sleep in. What would it hurt for him to sleep beside her for one night?

  ****

  Cormac woke at the knock on the suite door. It took him a moment to realize where he was. His female lay curled in his arm, her knee thrown over his, and her soft hair spread out over his chest. His arms tightened around her and he brushed a kiss on her hair. How he’d longed to hold her just like this. The knock sounded again, and he rolled her to her side. He smoothed the blankets over her shoulders.

  Aodhan stood on the other side of the door. Though he was in Cormac’s family hall, as chief of security for the resort, Aodhan had access to every room. “Aod, what is it? Have you found them?”

  “This was delivered a few minutes ago. I thought you might want to see it immediately.” Aodhan passed him a note and a small object.

  Cormac took the items, then froze when he realized he was looking at the necklace he’d given his niece on her tenth birthday. It was a tiny piece of amber naturally shaped like a butterfly. He’d found it as a young man, long before this country was even founded. His fist tightened around the gold chain he’d had specially fashioned for the little girl she had been. The chain was broken, and strawberry blonde hair was tangled in the links. Like it had been ripped off of her neck.

  If the bastards who had taken her had hurt her, Cormac would rip them apart starting with the fingers. He wouldn’t stop until he got to the bastards’ balls. He sat the necklace on the coffee table carefully. He’d have it repaired and would return to his niece once she was safe.

  “I found the note particularly enlightening.” Aodhan nudged the paper that

  Cormac still held. “Only thing is, I can’t kill the author. He’s my new brother-in-law.” Cormac read the words written on the cheap copy paper. “Dardaptoan bastards. You took my family from me. Now I have yours. You want them back, meet me tomorrow at noon. Bring my sisters and my cousins, then we’ll talk trade. Maybe.” It was followed by an address and a scrawled signature.

  Rand Taniss.

  A damned fucking Taniss had his sister and niece, again. Cormac suppressed a roar of rage. They must be terrified.

  And the bastard had had them for three days. Three long days when he could have done anything to them.

  What is it? What’s wrong? His woman’s voice sounded inside his head, soft and sleepy still. Beautiful. A beautiful damned Taniss.

  What’s wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong! Your damned family has kidnapped mine!

  Really? How do you know? The bedroom door opened and she stood outlined in the door, wearing nothing but a vestis that reached her knees.

  This note. Cormac threw the paper toward her, reminding himself that she was not to blame for her family’s actions. Had never been. But was this Rand one who’d helped the old bastard hurt so many of the Dardaptoan people?

  She read the note quickly, her eyes widening. She smiled. I knew Rand would find out what happened to us eventually!

  Dammit! He’s got my sister! What if she’s terrified? What if he’s hurt her? Cormac wrapped one hand around her skinny arm and yanked her closer, probably more roughly than he should have. She sank to the couch and looked up at him and Aodhan.

  Rand will not hurt either of them. He’s very protective of women. He won’t even scare them, I don’t think. The only woman he ever even fights with is Mal. They’re twins, you know? Rathan might scare them, at first. He’s even worse than Rand. And he’s not even blood related.

  She didn’t seem upset, or even surprised that her cousin was behind the kidnapping.

  I’ll kill them both!

  Her green eyes widened, and she stood back up quickly. No you will not!

  They kidnapped my family!

  And you kidnapped theirs! When does it stop? Will you reciprocate? Get your damned vengeance? Go after Rand’s youngest sister? After Em’s? Mine? Is someone out searching my sister’s dorm right now? What? She slapped the note against his chest, then shoved him with both hands. He didn’t budge even a bit. How could he? He barely felt her attack. When is it going to end? How many more lives will you all ruin before it stops? Enough! Let go of me!

  Cormac dropped his arms from where he’d slipped them around her waist unconsciously. Jocelyn…

  Just go! That’s the address of our vacation home. But if you want to get your sister back, you’ll need a bargaining chip. Or two. Definitely take Mal and Em. They’ll tell Rand what you want him to hear. And Rand will listen to them.

  You don’t want me to take you?

  No. If I go I can’t guarantee I won’t try to stay with my family. And I have things I need to do here. She looked away from him, the turmoil she felt clear on her beautiful face. Just go. And vampire man? If you hurt even one more member of my family—even Emily's cat—I will find a way to use all this medical knowledge I’m gaining to rip your throat out. Through your nose! You got me?

  Her eyes blazed green fire when she looked back at him.

  It might be fun to let you try.

  ****

  Cormac kept his body language deliberately loose and relaxed. Nonchalant, though he was the exact opposite. He was not leaving this meeting without his sister and niece. And without doing some serious damage to the bastards who’d had the affront to steal them from him in the first place. That he’d taken their women first mattered little to him.

  The chopper ride was far too long for him. He wanted his family back now. Wanted Kindara away from these Taniss bastards where she would be safe from them and the memory of them forever.

  The Taniss vacation home was more of a compound. High fences, complete with electric barbed wire, encircled the entire property. Like something within needed hidden, protected. And it was a huge property; that was abundantly clear from the air. How had he and Aodhan—responsible for tracking the Taniss family throughout the past few years—missed this property so close to Dardano? And why was it so close to Dardano in the first place?

  The chopper lighted on a landing pad, followed by the others that had accompanied them. The Dahr never traveled in the same chop
per as Cormac or Aodhan. It was a safety precaution to protect them all. Six choppers, three filled with guards and the healer Barlaam, in all. Probably overkill, but Cormac understood what Rydere was thinking.

  Rydere’s Rajni and Aodhan’s had also made this journey, and all of the males were willing to do whatever had to be done to protect them. And a strong showing would tell this Rand bastard where he now stood in the grander scheme of things.

  The only reason they made this journey at all was to retrieve Kindara and Jierra. If the rest of the Taniss’s couldn’t deal with that, well, that was their problems.

  Cormac was one of the first ones out of the chopper. The helipad was in easy walking distance of the manor house—the large opulent structure couldn’t be called anything less—and he could see a small group of people standing on the wraparound porch.

  A familiar blonde head stood at the center. Thank the goddess. She was all right. But where was Jierra?

  She saw him, too, and darted around the two men flanking her to run to him. Within seconds his arms were filled with his sister. She hadn’t clung to him like that since the death of her mate twenty-eight years ago.

  Had these Taniss bastards hurt her?

  “Kinney?” He brushed her mind quickly, though he knew his sister could feel him when he did that. Knew that she hated when he intruded. But he needed to know the truth. “Did they hurt you?”

  She was long in answering, and her mind was deliberately blocked to him. “No. We will live.”

  “Do I needst kill anyone?” He meant it, too. His female would get over it; if they had hurt his sister or her daughter, he would easily dispatch them.

  “No. I just want to get back home.”

  “As soon as we can, we will leave. But I believe we are about to witness a family reunion.”

  Male hands settled on his sister’s shoulders and pulled. Cormac let her go simply to prevent her from being harmed. His instincts roused when he saw the demon standing there. A damned demon mixed in with the Tanisses?

  Demons had distinct smells to a Predatoi of Cormac’s training and experience. This one was clearly a purebred Incubus. He was regal, and easily as big as Cormac. Far older. Dangerous.

  He would prove to be a big challenge, probably the oldest demon Cormac had ever fought.

  Why was there a demon with the Taniss family?

  They were evil, conscienceless beasts fit only for killing. They originated in the realm of Relaklonos, and some were rumored to be as powerful as the gods and goddesses of this world. And this looked to be one of the older ones.

  Another male stepped up beside the demon, and Cormac knew immediately this was the cousin Rand. He looked much like his twin sister, whom he was embracing. He was tall for a human—probably only three or four inches shorter than Cormac’s own six feet eight inches. And lean.

  And Lupoiux.

  The damned cousin Josey was so certain would save her and her cousins was a damned fucking dog. How in blue hells had that been missed?

  “Inside.” The wolf ordered everyone with a sweeping hand.

  Cormac fought the urge to simply rip the wolf to shreds. And then the demon who still had hands on Kindara. An incubus. Touching his sister.

  Had the bastard raped her? Fed from her? Was that why she looked and acted so different? He jerked her away from the demon, hissing the characteristic Dardaptoan warning sound when the demon tugged on her other hand.

  “I’m not a damned rope. Let go, demon.” Kindara’s words were fiery and fierce. Hotter than Cormac had heard from his sister in twenty-eight years. Just what had happened between her and this demon?

  Was this the Rathan that Jocelyn had said was the sexiest man alive? The man who preferred blonde women? Had he acted on that preference with Jocelyn? Or with his sister? Dear goddess, what if he’d fed from both Jocelyn and Kindara?

  The problem of the demon would be solved by killing him at the first possible opportunity. He would explain it to Jocelyn by telling her how dangerous demons were, and how she had probably been victimized by this one for many years without even knowing it. Conscienceless bastards, all of them.

  He’d reserve judgment on the Lupoiux dog until later. He was too curious as to how a Lupoiux could be mixed in with the Taniss family and no one realize it. “Wolf. I suggest you produce my niece before I rip you to shreds.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Cormac kept his eyes on his sister and the damned demon as they started up the steps into the house. Something told him the demon had fed from his sister. Yet he couldn’t determine how Kindara felt about that fact.

  A squeal had him jerking his attention to a secondary door near the end of the porch. A young blonde woman ran down the steps and passed Cormac.

  Except for wild curls that almost reached her waist, she was a carbon copy of his Jocelyn. Only younger.

  Kindara watched the girl also, an indulgent look on her face. “That’s Jade, Josey’s baby sister. She’s one of the strangest human girls I’ve ever met. But she’s very sweet. And they are very indulgent with her. She’s already told them no more kidnapping women. So I think you can skip that part.”

  “I see. She looks much like her sister.” He did the math in his head. The girl was a full-grown woman with curves to prove it. But she could only be around twenty or twenty-one.

  “Cormac—she’s the one who found the mess you made of Josey’s home. Who first realized her sister and cousins were gone. It really hurt her and I don’t think she’s dealt with it well.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Don’t do anything to scare her. She and Josey are exceptionally close, and she’ll probably be in your life a lot. It will make it easier on Josey if you don’t frighten her baby sister.”

  Make it easier on Josey. Cormac took a deep breath as that thought sunk in to his head. It should all be about making it easier on his female, shouldn’t it?

  “I’ll treat her sister as I treat our Jierra. How is she?”

  “Frightened. Very much so.” The demon stayed at his sister’s side, but she hardly seemed aware of him. “Cormac—she saw the attack on Josey. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry.”

  “She did? How?”

  “She was on her balcony with the puppy you’d given her. The Lupoiux attacked Josey and Jierra tried to go back and get help. But someone had locked Jierra’s door.

  From the inside. She couldn’t get back in and had to watch. And not help.”

  “Did you tell anyone of the locked door?”

  “Aodhan knows. He’s looking into it.” Kindara kept her voice low, though Cormac knew the damned demon heard her words. “Between the attack and then being kidnapped by a Lupoiux who was also a Taniss, Ji is extremely frightened. I want to get her home as soon as possible.”

  “We will. I promise you. And I will make sure she is never harmed again.”

  Another promise he would keep no matter what the cost.

  Inside the home Aodhan’s mate and the girl Jade immediately went into the kitchen area. Cormac reluctantly let go of his sister and watched as she and the Dhan settled onto a low-slung couch and began discussing medical care and Kinney’s research. Jierra was there, quiet in a corner chair. Cormac hugged her, held her close and whispered his promise to see she never was hurt again in her ear. She clung to him until her mother pulled her away.

  Cormac followed Dahr Rydere, Aodhan, Barlaam, and the wolf and demon into a dining room. They had much to discuss. Including the whereabouts of Jocelyn’s grandfather.

  The discussion circled for nearly an hour before the doors opened and Rydere's and Aodhan’s mates stormed into the room. Kindara was with them. Cormac had no difficulty reading the determination on three beautiful feminine faces.

  Twenty minutes later, the issues were resolved, but Cormac was far from happy with the methods. Kindara had cemented the Dardaptoans claim on Leo Taniss by showing the man’s grandson exactly what he had done to her.

  Now hi
s sister sat shaking in the demon’s arms. Sat whispering in his ear, while he rubbed a hand up and down her back, soothing her.

  Fucking goddess, the bastard demon had claimed her as consort. Cormac doubted

  Kindara even knew what that meant, or how that would change her life. The average Dardaptoan knew very little about the Demonkin. The Predatoi kept it that way to keep Dardaptoans from getting curious about the creatures that were so much stronger than Dardaptoans.

  This demon would do everything and anything to keep his sister. And even if Cormac attempted to kill it at this point, chances were good the damned incubus would simply return as a ghost and attach himself to Kindara. He would haunt her forever.

  Only the demon himself could break the bond, and that would take centuries to accomplish—if the demon even so desired. For now, Cormac was stuck with the demon.

  At least until he could find another solution. If he flung the damned demon back to his own realm, the bond might be weakened enough for Kindara to sever it.

  But for now, they had logistics to work out about the laboratory that the Taniss women were apparently building in Dardano. The lab his Jocelyn had neglected to tell him about.

  Was she keeping it secret for some reason? Or had other events, such as the kidnapping of his sister and niece overshadowed what his Rajni was up to?

  The Dhan continued speaking. “We want Mallory to oversee it. With Josey as head of Dardaptoan research and development, while Anna Macgregor handles the human side of things. If we have to, we can introduce Anna to the world of Dardaptoans. She will keep it utterly confidential, and can help Josey coordinate any overlap between the research while protecting it from unsuspecting eyes. We also want Uncle